What affects the cost of a website in Lebanon

If you have asked three agencies in Lebanon what a website costs, you probably received three very different answers. That is not always because one is overcharging and another is cutting corners. It is usually because each agency imagined a different website.

A website is not a single product with a standard specification. It is a bundle of decisions: how many pages, how they are built, who writes the content, which languages it supports, what it connects to, and who looks after it afterwards. Each decision adds or removes work. The price follows the work.

This guide explains those decisions in plain terms, so you can compare quotes properly and brief an agency with confidence. We are Strawberry Agency, a web and marketing agency in Jounieh, Lebanon, working since 2015. We have deliberately left figures out. A number printed in an article cannot know your scope, and a single number is misleading for exactly that reason.

Why one number is misleading

Two sites can both be called “a company website” and still differ enormously. One might be a handful of static pages with a contact form. The other might be a bilingual, content-managed site with a booking system, a product catalogue and a customer login. The visitor sees two websites. The agency sees two entirely different projects.

The main cost drivers

1. Custom design and build versus a template or WordPress setup

This is often the largest single factor. There are broadly three routes:

• A ready-made template, lightly adapted. Fastest and usually the lowest cost. You get a proven structure, but your site will look and behave like others using the same template, and you work within its limits.
• WordPress (or a similar CMS) with a tailored theme. A common middle path. The underlying system is mature, and your team can edit content without a developer. The design work is adapted to your brand rather than copied.
• A fully custom design and build. Every layout and behaviour is designed and coded for your needs. It takes more time and more skilled hours, and it makes sense when you have requirements that a template cannot meet or a brand that needs a distinct presentation.

2. Number of pages and page templates

Page count matters, but the number of different page layouts matters more. Fifty blog posts that all use one layout are cheap to produce once the layout exists. Ten pages that each need their own design are not.

3. E-commerce

Selling online adds a significant layer of work. You need product pages, categories, a cart, a checkout, order emails, stock handling and a way to take payment. Each of those has to be built, configured and tested, and some parts, such as payment, carry legal and security responsibilities.

In Lebanon there is an extra practical question: which payment methods your customers will actually use, and which ones your bank or provider can support. Settle this early, because it can change the build. A catalogue site that lets people browse and enquire is a much smaller project than a full online shop, so be clear about which one you need.

4. Arabic and English, and right-to-left layout

Many Lebanese businesses need their site in Arabic and English, sometimes French as well. This is more than translating text. Arabic reads right to left, so the whole layout has to mirror: navigation, alignment, forms, icons, and the order of elements. Fonts need to be chosen for both scripts and tested for legibility.

Each additional language also multiplies the content you must create, review and keep updated. If you only need one language at launch but want to add another later, say so, because the site can be built to make that easier.

5. Integrations

An integration connects your website to another system. Common examples are a CRM, an email marketing tool, a booking or appointment system, a payment provider, a map, analytics, or an internal database. Each connection needs setup, testing and sometimes custom code, and each depends on a third party whose rules can change. The more systems involved, the more careful the quote has to be.

6. Content and photography

This is the cost most people forget. A site needs words and images, and someone has to produce them. Options include writing the copy yourself, hiring a copywriter, commissioning professional photography, or using licensed stock images. Professional content takes time and has its own cost, separate from the build.

7. Hosting, domain and maintenance

The build is a one-time project. These items continue after launch:

• Domain name: renewed on a regular schedule, and it should be registered in your own name.
• Hosting: where the site lives. Quality varies, and it affects speed and reliability.
• Maintenance: software updates, security patches, backups and fixes. A site that is never updated gradually becomes a risk.

8. SEO foundations

Search engine optimisation is not something you add at the end. Some of it has to be built in: clean page structure, sensible headings, fast loading, mobile layout, proper page titles and descriptions, and redirects if you are replacing an old site. Doing this during the build is far easier than fixing it afterwards.

How the factors compare

A scope checklist to prepare before you ask for quotes

Answer these before contacting agencies. The clearer your answers, the more comparable the quotes will be.

• What is the main goal of the site: enquiries, sales, bookings, information, recruitment?
• Which page types do you need, and roughly how many of each?
• Do you need to sell products online? If so, how will customers pay?
• Who will edit the site after launch, and how often?
• Who is writing the copy, and who is providing the images?
• Do you want help with maintenance and support after launch?

Questions to ask in any quote

Once quotes arrive, these questions help you see what you are really being offered.

• What exactly is included, written down page by page and feature by feature?
• Is the price fixed, or an estimate that may change? What would trigger a change?
• Who writes and supplies the content and images?
• Are hosting, maintenance and support included, and for how long?
• How is the project split into phases, and when are payments due?

Currency, VAT and the contracting entity

Before you sign, confirm three things in writing: the currency the quote is in, whether VAT applies, and which legal entity you are contracting with. These details affect what you actually pay and how the invoice is recorded. We recommend checking the treatment with your accountant, since the right answer depends on your own company’s situation.

How long a website takes

Timelines also depend on scope. As a rule of thumb from our own projects:

• A focused brochure site is typically six to ten weeks from signed structure to launch.
• Content-managed builds, where your team edits pages through an admin area, take longer.
• E-commerce takes longer again, because of the extra features and testing.

The variable that moves the date most is how quickly final copy and images arrive. Design and development can move fast, but they cannot finish a page that has no content. Projects slow down when text is still being rewritten or photos are still being arranged after the build has started. If you want to launch on time, prepare content early and name one person who can approve it quickly.

What a quote from Strawberry looks like

We aim for a quote you can read once and understand. In practice that means:

• A written scope. What we will build, in plain language, so both sides know what is included.
• Fixed phases. The project is divided into clear stages, so you can see where you are and what comes next.
• No surprises. If something falls outside the agreed scope, we say so before doing the work, not after.

Frequently asked questions

Why do quotes for the same website vary so much?

Usually because the scope was not defined the same way. One agency may include copywriting, translation, hosting and training, while another includes only the build. Compare what is included before you compare totals.

Is a template site always the cheaper choice?

It usually takes less time to build, which keeps the cost down. But if the template is a poor fit and needs heavy changes, that advantage shrinks. A template works best when your needs match what it already does.

Do I need Arabic and English versions of my site?

It depends on your customers. If they search and read in both languages, a bilingual site serves them better. If your market is clearly in one language, a single-language site is simpler. Think about who you want to reach, not what looks thorough.

What costs continue after launch?

Typically the domain renewal, hosting and maintenance. You may also want ongoing content, SEO or support. Ask for these to be listed separately in the quote so the full picture is clear from the start.

Can I build the site in stages?

Often yes. Launch a focused first version and add pages, languages or a shop later, as long as the structure is planned from the start.

Next steps

If you would like to see how we approach this work, read about our web development service. If you already have a project in mind, get in touch with a short description of what you need, and we will tell you what information we would need to prepare a written scope.

Last reviewed: November 2026.